9 December 2009, Toledo, Ohio – Glass fibre reinforcement fabrics
specialist Owens Corning has announced the further expansion of its glass fibre
knitting plant at its facility in Rio Claro, northwest of Sao Paulo in Brazil,
doubling its capacity for making fibreglass technical fabrics. The addition is
the third expansion of capacity since the plant was established three years
ago. Part of the new capacity began production in September and the balance
will be installed by year end.
The company says that demand for fibreglass technical
fabrics is growing in Brazil, driven by the success of wind blade fabricators
based in the region. Wind blades made in Brazil are used in the local market
and also exported. "This latest expansion to our fabric knitting capacity
highlights our strategy to support market growth and emphasizes our commitment
to help our Latin America customers grow and succeed both locally and
globally," said Beth Rettig, OCV Technical Fabrics General Manager,
Americas.
OCV Reinforcements and OCV Technical Fabrics provide
material to Brazil's leading producers of blades for the world's largest wind
turbine manufacturers. The businesses serve the market from two facilities in
the state of Sao Paulo, one making knitted fabrics and the other the company's
patented Advantex glass fibre reinforcements. Advantex glass technology brings
world-class energy efficiency and emissions control to glass fibre production
while providing unique product benefits including corrosion resistance and high
strength, the company says.
The company has produced fibreglass reinforcements in Brazil
for many years. In July 2006, it established the first facility for technical
fabrics, including woven, stitched and knitted products. Fabric capacity was
doubled in 2007, and in 2008 the company moved the operations to a new facility
and doubled capacity again.
Owens Corning’s technical fabrics are used in several key
industries but primarily in the wind energy market to meet rising demand for
renewable, alternate energy sources such as wind power, which can benefit Latin
America in terms of economic development.
Wind energy power generation is quickly developing on a
global scale and according to Owens Corning, in Latin America, Brazil at
present has the largest installed capacity of wind energy power generation. It
offers the greatest potential, along with Argentina, where wind-based energy
has been attracting significant attention as an economically viable source of
electric power generation, says Owens. In the country's southern Patagonian
provinces, there are consistently strong westerly winds. To the north, the
Mexico Renewable Energy Program promotes the development of alternate energy
sources. Mexico has good locations and wind resources offering the potential to
produce significant renewable energy substituting more than half of the fossil
fuel utilized at present, Owens Corning says.
Owens Corning is a leading global producer of glass fibre
reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems and residential
and commercial building materials. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning had sales of
$6 billion in 2008 and about 16,000 employees in 30 countries. OCV(TM)
Reinforcements, OCV Technical Fabrics and OCV Non-Woven Technologies are the
three main business units that make up the Owens Corning Composite Solutions
Business. The business delivers a broad range of reinforcement products that
provide lightweight alternatives to steel, wood and aluminium, thereby reducing
weight and improving energy efficiency.
www.owenscorning.com
